Daron Dean

Read Daron Dean’s hiring announcement.

What are you teaching this semester?

I am teaching JOU3601 – Photographic Journalism, JOU4604 Advanced Photojournalism I and the INC Photojournalism Experience.

What is your area of expertise?

I am a practitioner of visual journalism with a passion for capturing, and teaching others to capture, life’s undirected moments.

What excites you most about coming to Gainesville?

There are stories to be told in every corner of the world. With that said, the only thing that excites me about Gainesville is being a part of the CJC at UF. And that’s enough!

What accomplishments, personal or professional, are you most proud of?

I was awarded the inaugural CJC Adjunct Teacher of the Year Award in 2018. While a student at UF, I placed second in the Hearst Awards National Competition two years in a row. I’ve traveled to 48 states, 17 countries, photographed six presidents, and saved several people’s lives, including my last editor. I’ve taken more than 800,000 photos along the way.

Your hero or biggest inspiration (alive or historical)?

My heroes are my parents, Willie Nelson and Louis Daguerre, the inventor of photography.

What three things don’t we know about you?

1. I’ve lived most of my life on islands.
2. When I was 15, I was robbed at gun point by a gentleman wearing the Scream mask – three years before the movie came out.
3. I’ve broken 17 bones.